Pneumatically operated mending device



- 1948. M. vrroux PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED MENDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 20,1946 INVENTOR. MA ECEL V/ roux 4 A TTOQNE Y5 Patented Aug. 3, 1948 ENTOFFICE rNEUMA'rIcALLY OPERATED 'MENDING nnvrcn Marcel Vitoux, Paris,France, assignor to American Vitos Company, Inc, New York, N. Y., acorporation oi New York Application November 20, 1946, Serial No.711,166 r This invention relates to devices for mending rocating pistonto which the mending or knitting needle is attached.

The invention relates more particularly to such devices wherein thepiston is actuated in one direction by the impingement of blasts ofcompressed air and returned in the opposite direction by the action of acoiled compression and expansion spring placed between the bottom of thepiston and a seat in the cylinder.

It has been found that in some cases this compression spring causesbreakdowns in the device. It should be rememberedthat the spring issubjected to alternating compressions and expansions at the rate of from2000 to 2 500 per minute. These rapid oscillations give rise totorsional stresses which when transmitted to the piston by the springcoil in contact with said piston, tend to rotate same about its axis andthus cause a binding or jamming of the needle in the guide bushingthrough which it passes. At any rate, an abnormal amount of friction iscreated between the said needle and bushing.

It is therefore one object of the present inven tion to obviate thisundesirable feature by the introduction or interposition of a rotatablememe ber between the piston and the spring coil in contact therewith torelieve said piston of any rotating tendencies.

Another object of the invention is to provide or interpose such arotatable member at either or both ends of the spring. 1

A further object of the invention is to so form the rotatable memberwhich contacts the piston as to adapt same to collect and then deflecttowards the cylinder wallsany of the lubricant which may drop therein.

Another object is to produce a deviceof the character described inwhichthe maximum simplicity of construction and operation is secured.

Other objects and advantages will appear'as the nature of theimprovements is better understood, the invention consistingsubstantially in the novel arrangement and co-relation of parts hereinfully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinsimilar reference characters are used to denote corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and then finally pointed out andspecifically defined in the appended claims.

The disclosure made the basis of exemplifying the present inventiveconcept, suggests a pracf 6 Claims. (01. 6.61.5)

tical embodiment thereof, but the invention is not to be restricted tothe exact details of this disclosure and the latter, therefore, is to beunderstood from an illustrative rather than a restricwtive standpoint; 3

.In carrying out the objects of the invention, it was found desirable toprovide a mending device comprising a cylinder having a needle carryingpiston slidably mounted therein and operated in one direction by theimpingement of compressed air thereon, and returned by, a, coiled springexerting a tension in the opposite direction,. the said springcontacting at at least one end thereof a member rotatable about the axisof the piston so as to take up any rotating tendencies caused by thetorsion of the spring.

. The invention will be more readily understood from the followingdetailed description. and accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional view of a mending device made in accordance withthe present invention; l

Figure 2 is a fragmental sectional view showing at an enlarged scale,thedetails of the rotative member or plug.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1; t

Figure 4 is a detail view of a modified form of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a still further modified formof the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, th numeral It! indicates thecylinder of the mending device H which is provided at its upper end witha holding or handle portion l2. Screw threadedly secured to the upperopen end of the cylinder IQ and within the handle 12 is :a nozzle 23which is adapted to be connected to the source of compressed air bymeans of a tube or hose not shown.

Slidably mounted in the cylinder l0 below and concentric with the nozzle13 is a, leather cupped piston M resting upon and secured to a diskplate 25 by means of a stud 16, the head I! of which is provided with aflange l8 for tightly clamping the piston I4 againstthe disk l5. A feltpacking washer I9 is supported on the stud l6 bears against the innersurface of the cylinder l0 and acts to prevent downward leakage oflubricating liquid usually contained within the cylinder above thepiston. The stud I6 is provided at the bottom thereof with a reducedportion 20 having a central internally threaded opening 2| for thereception of the externally threaded upper end of a needle 22.

Up to the present time the piston after being depressed by theimpingement of compressed air thereagainst was returned to upperposition by means of a helical compression spring 23 whose upper end wasin direct engagement with the lower surface of the piston or elementforming a partof said piston. Due to the rapid oscillations of thepiston a torsion developed in the said spring and tended to rotate thepiston about its longitudinal axis, said tendency being transmitted tothe needle 22 causing same to bind against the sides of the guiding slotor opening 24 in a bushing 25 at the bottom of the cylinder In.

In the present invention this rotating tendency may be obviated by meansof a socket 26 provided with a circular flange or base 21 against whichthe first or uppermost coil presses, the bottom coil of the spring beingseated against a shoulder 28 in the cylinder. The said socket 26 is pro-Vided with clearance openings 29 and 30 which clear the needle 22 andstud portion 2!] so that any tendency of the socket to rotate about theaxis of the piston will not be transmitted thereto. A shockabsorbing'spring 31 is provided between the piston and bottom of thenozzle l3.

If desirable a washer 32 with a central hole 33 of sufiicient diameterto clear the shank of the needle 22 may be placed upon the shoulder 28under'the lowermost coil of the spring 23 (seeFig. 4). This Washer 32may be used alone or in conjunction with the socket 26 for affectinganti rotatingtendency of the piston and needle carried thereby.

In 'Figure 5 there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein therotatable socket is formed with a collecting pan 35 for collecting anydrops of oilfrom the piston and deflect them towards the inner walls ofthe cylinder from which they trickle down to be absorbed by theabsorbent collar or sleeve 36 on the bushing 25. It is to be understoodthat in operation the device is held in a slanting or inclined position,due to which any oilin the pan 35 will be deflected toward the innerbore, surface or wall of'the cylinder.

, What is claimed is: r

1. In a pneumatically operated mending device, having a cylinderprovided at one end thereof with a compressed air inlet nozzle, anoscillatable piston below said inlet nozzle slidably mounted in saidcylinder a guiding bushing atthe opposite end of the cylinder, a needlecarried by the piston and extending through said bushing outwardly ofthe cylinder, the said piston and needle being slid in one direction bythe impingement of compressed air on said piston, a spring exerting apressure against the piston .to slide same in the opposite direction,and r- ,tary means coaxial with the piston interposed between the springand piston for taking up any torsional stresses of the spring, so as toprevent any binding between the needle and bushing.

2. In a pneumatically operated mending devicecomprising a cylinder and arapidly oscillatable piston within said cylinder, a spring, the saidpiston being operable in one direction by compressed air and in theopposite direction by said spring exerting a force thereagainst, abushing in the cylinder coaxial with the piston a needle carried by thepiston and extending through said bushing outwardly of the cylinder,

and rotary means coaxial with the piston interpos'ed between sameand thespring'for taking up any torsional stresses of the spring and preventingany binding between the needle and bushing.

3. A pneumatically operated mending device comprising a cylinder, anozzle on said cylinder for connecting same to a source of compressedair, a rapidly oscillatable piston in said cylinder operated in onedirection by the compressed air entering through said nozzle, a springfor operating the piston in the opposite direction, a stud passingcoaxially through said piston, a bushing in the cylinder below thepiston coaxial with the stud, a needle secured to said stud passingoutwardly of the cylinder through said bushing, and a rotatable sockethaving an opening larger than and coaxial with the stud interposedbetween the piston and spring for taking up any torsional stress of thespring and preventing frictional contact between the needle and bushing.

4. A pneumatically operated mending device comprising a cylinder,anozzleon said cylinder for connecting same to a source of compressedair, a rapidly oscillatable piston in said cylinder operated in onedirection by the compressed air entering through said nozzle, a springfor oper ating the piston in the opposite direction, a bushing in thecylinder below the piston having an opening coaxial with the piston, aneedle carried by the piston passing outwardly of the cylinder throughthe bushing opening, an internal shoulder in said cylinder below thepiston against which and the bottom of the piston the said spring exertsa pressure, and rotatable means interposed at one end of said spring fortaking up any torsional stress of the spring and preventing frictionalcontact between the needle and bushing. I I

5. A pneumatically operated mending device comprising a cylinder, anozzle on said cylinder for connecting same to a source of compressedair, a rapidly oscillatable piston in said cylinder operated in onedirection by the compressed air entering through said nozzle, a springfor operating the piston in the opposite direction, a bushing in thecylinder below the piston having an opening coaxial with the piston, aneedle carried by the piston passing outwardly of the cylinder throughthe bushing opening, an internal shoulder in said cylinderbelow thepiston against which and the bottom'of the'piston the said spring exertsa pressure, and rotatable means interposed between the spring andshoulder for taking up any torsional stress of the 60 spring andpreventing frictional contact between the needle and bushing. I l

6. A device according to claim 3 wherein the cylinder contains alubricant above the piston and means'on the socket for deflecting any ofsaid lubricant which may drop thereon toward the inner walls of thecylinder.

' MARCEL VITOUX.

